Guwahati: Union home minister Amit Shah addressed the Yuva Shakti Samaroh of BJYM in Guwahati on Sunday, attended by nearly 1.5 lakh youths. He said the “Mahakumbh of Yuvas” signalled a “largest-ever mandate” for a third consecutive BJP-led govt in Assam.Criticising Congress era as one marked by unrest, Shah said BJP govt had restored lasting peace through multiple accords with militant groups, including Ulfa.Shah accused Congress of turning Assam into a “safe haven for infiltrators” during its years in power, while asserting that BJP govt is determined to free the state from illegal immigration.While targeting Congress on the issue of illegal immigration, he alleged that the party had not only allowed infiltrators to enter Assam but had also “legalised, formalised and normalized” their presence.“The Congress govts had turned Assam into a shelter for infiltrators. We had promised that Assam would be freed from infiltrators, and under the leadership of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, around 1.51 lakh bighas of land have been cleared from encroachers,” he said.Shah criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for opposing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, claiming that the electoral roll exercise was removing the names of infiltrators from voter lists.He added, “He (Rahul Gandhi) is opposing SIR because the names of infiltrators are being removed from the electoral rolls. This is only the beginning — every infiltrator will eventually have to leave the country.”Union minister also claimed that Assam had once been a centre of insurgency during the Congress era, which had led to the deaths of hundreds of youths.He said the BJP-led state govt has worked to restore peace through a series of peace accords with different rebel outfits.He cited the signing of the Bodo Peace Accord in 2020, followed by the Karbi peace accord in 2021, the Adivasi peace agreement in 2022, the DNLA agreement in 2023 and the Ulfa accord in 2024. He added, more than 10,800 weapons have been surrendered by insurgent groups as a result of these peace initiatives.He also highlighted the construction of a memorial for Srimanta Sankardeva and another monument dedicated to the martyrs of the Assam Movement after freeing the land from encroachment.Shah also claimed that the state govt has provided 1.65 lakh jobs to youths without corruption or litigation, calling it an example of transparent governance, which is more than the BJP had promised in 2021 election manifesto to give 1 lakh jobs.He questioned Gandhi what he did for the youths. “There were Congress govt for 15 years in the state but they did not do anything for the youths of the state, except working for their families,” he alleged.The home minister said Congress had neglected tea tribes and Adivasi communities during its rule, whereas the BJP government has taken concrete steps for their welfare. He added that the state government provided financial assistance of Rs 5,000 to tea garden workers and ensured land rights for around 3.5 lakh families across 707 tea gardens in the state.He said the massive participation of youths in the event indicated strong support for the BJP and predicted that the party would return to power in Assam with its largest-ever majority in the upcoming Assembly elections.
